Hello
My Niece got a DNA match to start with and the two communicated by email. The other DNA Donor had a list of Surnames from her own F.H. research.
Using an original family Death Certificate I have, our known family history and my research, I felt a list of surnames, one of which was an exact family match, was pretty good.
However, the other DNA provider's research was absolutely first class match too, going back 100 years from our shared ancestor.
Sceptical
1) Although I'm a big DNA sceptic, due to the fact, that if the DNA donor's family history research is not first class, a DNA match could be misleading.
2) If there was secret infidelity, but a wife registered the baby as married husband's, that could give DNA results problems.
3) If my family didn't already know its history, one of those surnames, from that list of surnames sent from the other DNA donor, wouldn't have meant anything, which is effectively what I have on another male line from my ancestor awkward George.
4) Each family historian should do their own exhaustive checks, it is not a substitute for laziness, you may also discover other interesting things, they haven't, as you check accuracy.
My Other Line
One of George's Grandsons has named five of his children with surnames, as their middle names and two other middle names, which can be both forenames or surnames.
We can match three of the surnames (from research of the family) including the maiden surname of the wife of George, so there is something in the middle surnames.
But these spare surnames, don't help yet, at all!
We are back at archives and waiting for more copy 18th & 19th Century Deeds, to see if a clue to George's origin can be confirmed, that way.
Mark